A Trip Around Your Imagination

When was the last time you wandered through your imagination stretching the boundary into ridiculousness and had fun?


Have you been told

 

• Get your head out of the clouds
• Focus on reality
• You can’t do that
• That idea will never work

 

I had a wonderful Masterminds meeting today as we talked about perceptions last week and imagination this week. Imagination is so important not only in creating a successful business, but in enriching our lives through practical necessity and entertainment.

 

When was the last time you looked at a sunset and thought about what it represented? Did you just see pretty colors? Or did you see: The wild colors of sunset romanced the dark colors of night. Tangy pink taffy melted into orange sherbert that drizzled across chocolate mountains. Then the wild stain vanished into a canvas of blinking stars. Excerpt from my book, The Confident Butterfly.

Did you even notice the sunset at all as you raced home?

I had one gentleman at the meeting ask a teenager, who happened to be attending the meeting with his mother, “What makes your imagination so different from ours [adults?] Why is it easier for you to daydream and imagine where adults have difficulty?”

That’s a good question. What do you think? Are you as imaginative as you used to be as a kid? If not, why?

 

I believe it all comes down to programming. Do you listen to what other people are telling you or do you listen to your own heart’s desires and intuition? Has something someone said to you hindered you, discouraged you into giving up on a goal?

 

During the meeting the teen stated he wanted to grow up financially independent and retire young. I thought it was a great goal to strive for. An older gentleman at the table just laughed openly and muttered, “Good luck with that.” What a dream squasher!

Is his dream impossible? No. Is it full of challenges and strategic planning to get there? Yes. I hope this kid listens to his own heart and not to the cynical adults around him. He has a real chance provided he works hard.

I stood up in the group and stated, “I’m 39 years old and I still have the same imagination as I did when I was 12. I never let people discourage me from dreaming.”

I actually had people tell me that I would never become a writer because I got C’s in English. Another one I heard was you need a Master’s Degree in English. I used to think that was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard of! All writer’s have editors and it’s the editor’s job to point out and fix those annoying comma splices and dangling participles—what the heck is that anyway?

Writers put together passionate thoughts and imagery that evoke emotion within readers. Editors dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Every writer in those bookstores has an editor, even the ones who got a Master’s in English! Guess, what? Stephen King's first editor believes I am a great writer.

If someone says to you imagination is a waste of time, tell them to go turn on a light. That little wonder started with a thought that turned into a reality. Imagination is the beginning of all inventions. It has a great purpose. You never know what inventions won’t be thought of if you tell someone to be “realistic.”

Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.

Charles F. Kettering

 

Do you need to dream again? Spend 15 minutes everyday imaging and playing in your mind. You never know where a little fun will take you when dealing with day-to-day stress and complications.

This is what my little book The Confident Butterfly is all about. Following your heart and living your dreams.